August 31, 2006

Merck Publishes New Consumer Health Guide to Help Patients Make the Most of Their Annual Doctor's Visit

New Guide Latest in Merck's 100-Plus-Year Tradition of Providing Unbiased Health Resources as a Public Service to the Community.

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today the launch of a new free information resource for consumers -- the Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor's Visit -- a tool to help patients more effectively communicate with their doctors. Consumers can receive a copy of the Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor's Visit free-of-charge by visiting http://www.yourhealthnow.com/ or by calling (888) MERCK-38 (888-637-2538).

An annual physical is the one time people get a full assessment of their overall health. The Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor's Visit, which was created with the input of doctors and patients, advises people to spend a few minutes before each doctor's visit thinking about any recent changes in health or questions to be discussed with their doctor. This preparation can help patients have a more productive visit with their doctor and also can ensure that people do not leave the office with questions they forgot to ask.

The Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor's Visit follows the launch of the Guide to Affordable Medicine, a consumer resource that provides information on how to navigate the various government and private programs that offer medicines at a discount or for free. Merck is making both Guides available free-of-charge as part of the Company's commitment to provide health information resources to the public, which began in 1899 with the publication of the first Merck Manual.

The Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor's Visit will be distributed to doctors' offices throughout the United States and local community health organizations.

"Many people arrive at a visit unprepared and forget to ask their doctors important questions," says Dr. Robert Berkow, editor emeritus of The Merck Manuals, the world's best-selling medical reference. "Open communication with your physician can help identify potential health problems when they are still preventable and easily treatable."

The concise 12-page pocket Guide also encourages patients to record their doctor's advice and provides space to track health goals along with a notes section. "Following your doctors' advice is critical in maintaining and improving health," says Dr. Berkow. "But when people don't remember exactly what their doctor said, or forget altogether, important recommendations can be overlooked."

"At Merck, we are committed to putting the patient first, and part of this commitment includes providing credible, unbiased health information, such as the Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor's Visit," says Maggie Kohn, Director of Corporate Responsibility Communications. "This Guide will serve as an important tool for both patients and their doctors."